Vintage Button Jewelry

Very happy to have time to get back to playing with my vintage buttons and beads. I have, well, not tons, but pounds of them and I really want to use them more in my art and fiber work. 

Here are a couple of things I came up with over the weekend.
 A pendant:

and a pin:

Not sure what these will become, but the combination is speaking to me...

Right now, I'm using black artistic or bare copper wire and trying to maintain the integrity of the buttons.  I know there's a lot of discussion here and there about crafters who use vintage and antique buttons, who take off the shanks, drill holes in them or otherwise alter them.

I wouldn't do that to a truly antique or rare button, but most of the buttons I like and prefer to make things with are vintage plastic or cloth buttons, neither very rare or expensive.  That red square above is likely Bakelite, a plastic which is collectible, and one of my favorite types of buttons.

And now, back to weaving my length of Saori fabric to use for 6 hats. I'm at #4.

Wishing everyone a mindful, creative day!
'Zann

Constructions

A quick, mostly pictures post.
Finally started pulling together the vintage buttons, beads, felted bits and wire.
I am calling these "constructions."

Construction No. 1

Construction No. 2

Construction No. 3

Construction No. 5
(didn't get a picture of No. 4 for some reason)

Construction No. 6 (a work-in-progress)

Namaste,
Zann

Stitch Marker Factory

First, many thanks for the sweet, sad thoughts in regard to the death of Patrick's friend Jerry. I now light candles for him sometimes on Patrick's candlelighting page. I'm not sure where to put my thoughts and questions and emotions about death in general and the particular deaths we've experienced among our family and friends. I'm not sure how to even think about it these days. Wisdom-- I await some wisdom! Meanwhile, what seems to serve me well is to patiently abide in the present moment.

Life has been hectic and challenging of late, moreso than usual. We had family in to visit with Mom in the nursing home followed by a health issue for me which requires surgery (out-patient, scheduled for this Wednesday.) It's a relatively minor surgery in the grand continuum of possible surgeries. Still...it's ME....so please send whatever spiritual support you normally provide....healing energy, prayer, white light, blue light, angelic beings....I appreciate them all. And of course, being the devout UU I am, all humanist sentiments of compassion are equally appreciated.

So.
Overwhelmed I am (I'm not even thinking about The Holidays). But not so overwhelmed that I haven't been occupying my head, hands and heart with creative work. There is much accomplished on that front - knitted and crocheted gifts, socks, an Isis shawl in progress. AND I think I'm most excited about finally beginning to do some beading and wirework.

The latter started with stitch markers. I made dozens.

I began to call the kitchen table The Stitch Marker Factory.

The first ones I made fit up to size 10 needles. I made some that will fit to size 17.

It became apparent that I was going to have to sell some of the markers, so I created a little hanging card stamped with my signature leaf, with the markers strung on bright snippets of handspun yarn. Martha at Riverwools loved them and has now got them nicely displayed at her checkout table. Last time I checked a few had sold. I had the absolute pleasure of being in the shop as a woman saw them and said lovely things and wound up buying a set.

Making the stitch markers opened some pathway in my procrastinating about learning wirework and beading (this has to do with perfectionism and I think I will write about that later, it's important insight for me!) And I have since made some pendants and earrings and a necklace. Which will hopefully be the subjects of my next post.

I shall leave you with a picture of The Sock Factory:
Yes, that is THREE PAIRS of socks-in-progress. I thought that my way to avoid Second Sock Syndrome was to have two pairs going, but three seems to work really well for me. These aren't complex socks, just a basic pattern I use over and over for size 1 needles and Opal yarn, although the yarn on the left is another German-made sock yarn Super Soxx by Lang. My basic pattern has a preference for cuffs, heels and toes in a solid color.

Here's the first pair of socks out of the queue (I think I photographed them in-progess awhile back):


Ah, it feels good to write a blog entry here after such a long silence.
Namaste,
Zann

Stitch Markers!

I've been thinking about making my own stitch markers for ages. I even have this wild idea to do some sort of Clapotis Knit-Along or workshop and have a component be the making of the 18 stitch markers one needs to do the full pattern. Or make and sell sets of 18 for such a workshop. Who knows? My ideas tend to stay fun flights of fancy (ooh, say that five times...)

When I was at the bead shop the other day arranging the private workshop for Raven and myself, I picked up a packet of 24 head pins and went home determined to finally make stitch markers. I began by looking very closely at my favorite stitch markers made for me by SP7 Peacock, and it turned out to be pretty darned easy. I made 3 sets of 6 and some one of a kind.

I switched out the old markers from Clapotis 4 (Silk Garden 84) in progress et voila:

Having personal stitch markers that are aesthetically pleasing and make me smile when I see them just adds to the remarkable peace and pleasure of knitting.

Of no less significance is how good it feels to finally use some of the bead/wire/beading & wireworking tool stash I've been accumulating. I'm hoping for some real relief on that front when Raven and I have our class and I actually do some bead and wirework!!!

Namaste,
Zann